Hand tools

ABSTRACT

The invention provides improved hand tools such as pliers, which can be mass produced by automatic machines to a very high standard, by making the outer edge of each handle substantially straight and co-linear with the outer edge of the jaw portions, so that each handle and jaw can be passed linearly of a finishing machine, and similarly for the inside edges of the handles. The handles and jaws are also made of uniform thickness over their length so that they can be machined in transverse planes by similar operations.

United States Patent 1191 Reekes et al.

HAND TOOLS Inventors: James Thomas Reekes, Cannock',

Neville Lucas Elliott, Sutton Coldfield, both of England Elliott-Lucas Limited, Cannock, England Filed: Nov. 29, 1973 Appl. No.: 420,314

Assignee:

Foreign Application Priority Data Jan. 5, 1973 United Kingdom 00721/73 U.S. CL... 51/328; 76/101 D Int. Cl 1324b 1/00 Field of Search 51/328, 144, 145 R;

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS DuBois 51/144 1 May 27, 1975 1,768,339 6/1930 Stevens 51/145 R 3,760,537 9/1973 Bovati 51/145 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 726,584 3/1955 United Kingdom 51/144 Primary ExaminerJames L. Jones, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Marshall & Yeasting {57] ABSTRACT The invention provides improved hand tools such as pliers, which can be mass produced by automatic machines to a very high standard, by making the outer edge of each handle substantially straight and colinear with the outer edge of the jaw portions, so that each handle and jaw can be passed linearly of a finishing machine, and similarly for the inside edges of the handles. The handles and jaws are also made of uniform thickness over their length so that they can be machined in transverse planes by similar operations.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHMN .975 3,885,359

SZiEET L 3 BF HAND TOOLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to hand tools of the kind comprising a pair of lever handles pivoted together and extending beyond the pivot to form a pair of jaws, as for example pliers, nippers, pincers, and wire cutters, and which handles are adapted by their size and disposition to be grasped collectively in one hand by the user. Such tools are herein called of the kind referred to".

The best quality hand tools of this kind are made by producing a pair of forgings, cropping the flash from the same, and then machining, grinding and polishing the cropped forgings over a very large part of their surface. The handles in particular, and also to some extent the jaws tend to be of ever-changing contour, width, thickness and curvature, along their length, and for these reasons the machining, grinding and polishing are largely hand operations involving operator skill and experience.

It is known to make lower quality tools where the grinding and polishing are dispensed with and also in some cases e.g. electricians pliers, the handles are covered with insulation thus eliminating the need for the techniques referred to, but nevertheless there is a very substantial demand for the best quality tools and the need to provide the same at less cost and with less skilled labour content, not only because of the cost of the labour but also difficulties in obtaining such labour under today's conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, a tool of the kind referred to is characterised by the provision of at least external lateral surfaces on the handles (at least) which are of constant profile and dimensions. Hence, the whole of the length of the so-provided handles may be round and polished by contoured tools and substantially eliminating operator skill in this operation.

Preferably the conventional handle shape which is slightly curved over the whole length of the handle, is modified and the handles are straight over their length from the pivot to a point near the free ends of the handles, only the final free end portion being curved, and moreover the curvature where provided is of constant radius.

The edge portions of the handles (at least) may therefore be machined, or ground or polished, by a relative linear movement between the handle and the treatment or finishing tool. This may be effected in varnous ways, for example: the handle may be supported on a carriage which is moved past a grinding tool, with a cam for displacing the handle as the straight part leaves the to l and the curved part reaches the tool; or the tool may be cam displaced to like effect; or one or other of tool and handle may be spring or air displaced to maintain a contact pressure therebetween and cause the tool to follow the longitudinal contour.

Preferably the internal lateral faces of the handles are likewise of constant profile and dimensions (transversely) and of like longitudinal profile, i.e. straight with a final curve of fixed radius and location, for similar treatment.

When both internal and external profiles are as aforesaid, the handle is ofconstant thickness (in a plane containing the pivot axis) and the remaining two faces of the handle cross-section may be finished by planar grinding and polishing.

Preferably also the external lateral faces of the jaws are likewise profiled and dimensioned and these may be identical to the profiles and dimensions of the handles and so far as possible co-linear therewith and then the jaws too can be part finished by the same operations.

The invention also consists in a method of making a tool of the kind referred to comprising the steps of holding a lever and jaw forming part in a clamp, and translating the clamp relative to a number of profiling tools to form a constant profile and dimension to at least the lateral external surface of at least the handle portion of said part.

The profiling tools may comprise abrasive belts held to the desired profiles by resilient pads over the contact area, the pads being of rubber, foamed plastics or the like, and the tool parts may be moved by mounting the clamps on reciprocating carriages. The location of the clamp relative to a datum surface may be adjusted during the reciprocation, for example to deal with the curvature of the handles, by a cam plate against which a follower on the carriage or clamp is urged. Hence by interchange of cam plates, and/or interchange of pads, and/or adjustment of the reciprocation stroke length, different tools may be dealt with on the same apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1 3 are plan views of three different sizes of engineers pliers, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the nose of the pliers shown in FIG. I, seen from the reverse side;

FIGS. 5-7 are three sections taken at different points along the length of one lever handle, on the lines 5-5, 6-6. 7-7 of FIG. 1', FIG. 8 is a plan view of a pair of wire cutters;

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the wire cutters shown in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a pair of snipe nose pliers.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic elevation of an apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings, the tools are identical in external lateral profile and dimensions over the length indicated by the dimension x on each of FIGS. 1-3, 8 and 10, although it will be appreciated that the profile applied to one tool may be different from that applied to another. In the case of FIG. 8, the profile is modified over the jaw section in that the width progressively decreases, but the profile present may match the like portions of the profile elsewhere in the tool.

In the case of FIG. 10, the profile is varied over the final portion of the jaws but lies wholly within the profile over the area x, and hence the reciprocation stroke may be .r, with a further step required to shape the jaws over that final area.

The lateral internal profiles and dimensions over the length x are likewise constant for each tool.

Similarly the tools may be planished over the whole of the dimension .r in FIGS. 1-3 and 8, and over the dimension .r of FIG. 10.

FIGS. 5-7 show a typical profile, and it will be noted that the dimension of width or thickness 0, and of the radii r. r are constant for any one handle (at least), the dimension b between the loci of the radii varying as the lateral dimension varies.

FlG. ll shows a conventional clamp which holds the tool and is translated as hereinbefore described in the direction indicated by the arrow. An abrasive belt ll, traveling in the direction indicated by an arrow, is held to the desired profile by a resilient pad 12, in order to grind the linear outer side of the tool to a uniform profile.

We claim:

1. A method of making a hand tool of the kind comprising a pair of lever handles pivoted together and extending beyond the pivot to form a pair of jaws. comprising the steps of producing a tool each handle of which is straight over the major part of its length from a point near the free end thereof to a point near the pivot, a substantial portion of the outer side of each jaw being co-linear with the outer side of the handle which is pivoted thereto, mounting the tool in a clamp which is translatable relative to a profiling grinder, and grinding the co-linear outer portions of a jaw and handle to a uniform profile by translating the tool and the clamp. relative to the grinder, in a direction parallel to such co-linear portions.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the step of translating the tool and the clamp relative to a plurality of profiling grinders.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the profiling grinders comprise abrasive belts held to the de sired profile by resilient pads. 

1. A method of making a hand tool of the kind comprising a pair of lever handles pivoted together and extending beyond the pivot to form a pair of jaws, comprising the steps of producing a tool each handle of which is straight over the major part of its length from a point near the free end thereof to a point near the pivot, a substantial portion of the outer side of each jaw being co-linear with the outer side of the handle which is pivoted thereto, mounting the tool in a clamp which is translatable relative to a profiling grinder, and grinding the co-linear outer portions of a jaw and handle to a uniform profile by translating the tool and the clamp, relative to the grinder, in a direction parallel to such co-linear portions.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising the step of translating the tool and the clamp relative to a plurality of profiling grinders.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the profiling grinders comprise abrasive belts held to the desired profile by resilient pads. 